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Ielts Writing

IELTS General Training Writing Description|
Paper Format| There are two Writing tasks to complete.|
Timing| 60 minutes|
No of Questions| 2| Task Types| In Task 1, candidates are asked to respond to a situation, by writing a letter for example, requesting information or explaining a situation. In Task 2, candidates write an essay in response to a point of view, argument or problem.| Answering| Answers must be given on the answer booklet and must be written in full. Notes or bullet points in whole or in part are not acceptable as answers. Candidates may write on the question paper but this cannot be taken from the examination room and will not be seen by the examiner.| Task Type & Format| In Writing Task 1, candidates are presented with a situation and required to write a personal response in the form of an informal, semi-formal or formal letter of at least 150 words. They are told what kind of information (in the form of three bullet points) they must include in their response. Candidates may be required to request or give information and/or explain a situation. To do this, they may need to do some of the following; ask for and/or provide general factual information, express needs, wants, likes or dislikes, express opinions or complaints, make requests or make suggestions/recommendations. The situations they are asked to write about are common, everyday ones such as; writing to a college accommodation officer about problems with accommodation, writing to a new employer about time management problems they are having, writing to a local newspaper about a plan to develop a local airport, writing to a renting agency to sort out problems with the heating system in their house. The style of writing that candidates use depends who they are asked to write to (i.e. the audience) and how well they are supposed to know them. They need to write in a style that is appropriate for their audience and that will help them to achieve their purpose for...

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PUBLISHER'S ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The publishers are grateful for permission to use copyright material. We would like to acknowledge the original sources of text material listed below. Permission has been sought to reproduce all material whose source could be identified. Information that will enable the publishers to rectify any error or omission in subsequent editions will be welcome. The nine Band Score descriptions on page 12 are reproduced from The IELTS Handbook, a joint publication of the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate, The British Council, and IDP Education Australia: IELTS Australia. The reading passage "Regional Student Survey" on page 97, is adapted from The ELICOS Student Contextualised - Facts & Figures by Ms. CM. Bundesen, with permission of the author.
AUTHORS' ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We would like to acknowledge the support of the following people: Bruce Bell, HelenkaPiotrowski, Laurent Seibert, Andrew Thomas (Sydney English Language Centre), and Soon-Young Yoon.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Terry Peck and Garry Adams have extensive IELTS coaching experience, both having been involved in implementing and designing IELTS coaching programmes. Terry Peck was an IELTS...

...﻿History of IELTSIELTS test takers and the organizations which rely on IELTS test results benefit from IELTS' continuing investment in quality assurance, research and development to ensure that the test remains robust and relevant.
International teams of writers contribute to IELTS test materials and we invest in ongoing research to ensure that IELTS remains fair and unbiased – wherever and whenever the test is taken – and that IELTS encourages, reflects and respects international diversity and is fair to anyone who sits the test, regardless of nationality, background, gender or lifestyle.
The rigorous processes used to produce the test materials ensure that every version of the test is of a comparable level of difficulty, so that candidates’ results are consistent wherever and whenever they take the test.
These and the other benefits of IELTS today build on our history of English language testing over many decades.
The beginning
The English Language Testing Service (ELTS), as it was then known, made its first appearance in 1980 when it replaced the English Proficiency Test Battery (EPTB), a traditional largely multiple choice test battery that had been used by the British Council in its overseas student recruitment operation since the mid 1960s for the purpose of screening international applicants to universities and colleges in the UK.
The new test had...

...Handbook
2007
www.ielts.org
Contents
2
2 2 2 3 3
Introduction
What is IELTS? Test Administration Academic and General Training Test Format Preparing for the Test
4
4 4 5
IELTS Test Results
Test Scores Test Report Form Interpretation of Results
6
6 7 8 11
Tests
Listening Reading Writing Speaking
13 Test Registration and Administration
14 Transferring Answers to the Answer Sheet
15 Candidates with Special Needs
15 Other Difficulties
16 Security of IELTS 16 Question Paper Development and Research 17 Test Centres 20 Official IELTS Practice Materials Order Form
Introduction
This Handbook gives an overview of IELTS for teachers, administrators and other users, including staff in receiving organisations such as universities, professional registration boards and employers. It outlines the key features and administrative procedures for IELTS. The Handbook does not include complete samples of the test components; these are given in the Official IELTS Practice Materials pack, which can be bought from IELTS test centres, or from Cambridge ESOL or IDP: IELTS Australia (see page 20). Additional information is given on the IELTS website www.ielts.org
Academic and General Training
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...opens doors around the world
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Preparing to take IELTS
Make sure you are ready It’s important to familiarise yourself with the format of the test as outlined in this booklet. Further information on the content of the test can be found at www.ielts.org/teachers.aspx You may ﬁnd it helpful to do a practice test. Ofﬁcial IELTS Practice Materials may be purchased from test centres or online at www.ielts.org/candidates. aspx These materials include a full practice test with answers, and sample Writing and Speaking performances with examiner comments. More samples of IELTS test material and information about the test are available from the following websites: www.ielts.org www.britishcouncil.org/learning-ielts.htm www.cambridgeesol.org/exams/academic-english/ ielts.html www.idp.com/examinations/ielts/about_the_test.aspx www.ieltsusa.org You don’t have to attend a preparation course, but many candidates ﬁnd that doing so helps...

...﻿Guidelines for Writing the Essays
Essays will be graded on the following criteria:
I. Organization (how well you structure your argument)
a. You should have an introductory paragraph that briefly summarizes your
answer to the question.
b. The body of the essay should be logically organized to support your argument.
Usually a topical organization is best. For instance, if the question asks
you to talk about economics, politics, and social structure, a logical
form of organization would be to have a paragraph on economics,
a paragraph on politics, etc.
c. Each paragraph in the body should begin with a clear topic sentence.
A topic sentence indicates the main point you’re making in that paragraph.
As a general rule of thumb, never start a paragraph with a statement of
fact or a quote. Your paragraph should stay focused on proving that
central point. For instance, if you indicate in your topic sentence that
you will be making an argument about politics, don’t wander off into
talking about economics.
d. Your essay should have a clear conclusion that summarizes the main points of
your argument (your answer to the question)
II. Use of Evidence (how well you support your argument with historical facts)
a. Key assertions should be supported by specific historical facts rather than
generalizations.
b. Evidence should be integrated into the argument. Just throwing out facts is
not enough – you need to explain HOW the facts help prove your ...